This Friday begins the annual National Hispanic Heritage Month. As I have often said, “The Golden State is turning brown” and San Diego is also, with Latinos soon becoming the majority. Monday, Sept. 25 there will be the first organizing meeting of the San Diego County Latino LGBTQ Coalition. The meeting will be held at The LGBT Community Center at 6 p.m. and all Latinos are invited. Special keynote speaker will be Latina activist Gloria Cruz, who was a speaker at July’s Stonewall Rally (Council Aide to Councilwoman Gomez), and the former Mayor of Chula Vista Steve Padilla.
The response to the announcement has been overwhelmingly positive and for further information look up the Facebook page here.
Catholic Bishop’s Mass for LGBT community Oct. 7
Yes, you read it right, Saturday Oct. 7 at St. John’s the Evangelist Church (1638 Polk Ave.) at 11 a.m. Bishop John Dolan will be saying a Catholic Mass for “families of the LGBT community” and all are welcome to this historic Mass. Aaron Bianco, Carolina Ramos and I have been working on this for the past months and this will be a special celebration. From a San Diego Bishop who refused to say a Mass for people living with AIDS, and refusing to say a funeral Mass for two gay businessmen (John McCusker and John Sanfilippo) and being so homophobic to now two San Diego Bishops who believe indeed that we are all God’s children. See you all Oct. 7.
Richard Grenell will make an outstanding ambassador
Ric Grenell is one of our nation’s top and most articulate foreign policy experts. He is serving as the U.S. official spokesperson at the United Nations and has served four United States ambassadors. I first met Ric when he served on Mayor Susan Golding’s staff and was a top advisor to former Councilman Carl DeMaio’s close congressional race. Ric is one of the most intelligent individuals I have ever met and has been with his husband for 15 years. He is a proud gay Christian man who has supported almost every LGBT civil rights legislation. He has a Master’s Degree in public policy from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. While I may disagree with Ric on different political issues, he is one of the most qualified gay nominees ever to be put up for an ambassadorship and I will be writing letters of support for him to our two outstanding U.S. senators, Diane Feinstein and Kamala Harris. President Trump, make an outstanding choice for our next ambassador to Germany!
Nathan Fletcher for County supervisor
For too long arch-conservative Republicans have controlled the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. It is time for this to change and Marine veteran and former State Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher will begin this change. I have worked with Nathan and have seen first-hand how he is a champion for all veterans and the homeless. He will be a champion and a voice for the voiceless. The Board of Supervisors have refused to support bringing back the County’s Human Relations Commission as the rise in hate crimes continue. Nathan has vowed to fight to bring it back. He has been a strong advocate for LGBT civil rights and has a 100 percent voting record. A father of four, he is married to State Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher. Join the vast majority of Democratic leaders, LGBT leaders and neighborhood leaders in supporting Nathan Fletcher for County supervisor. Fletcher has been endorsed by GLBT Vote 2018 and Democrats for Equality.
Thank you Ron Roberts for your decades of public service and being a long-time friend of the LGBT community.
Really Nicole? I totally get your personal support for Nathan. You are a loyal and good friend to him and I would expect you to be supportive. But let’s not fudge the truth about his LGBTQ voting record…it is not close to 100%. Not even really close. There is a lot more and for some reason this push push push to coronate Mr Fletcher is something else. Anyhow, here are a few votes where Mr. Fletcher was not consistent with his current support for our community. Laurie
SB 54 – Recognizing Out-of-State Same-Sex Marriages – Voted NO
SB 572 – Harvey Milk Day – Voted NO
AB 101 – Allows Family Child Care Providers to Organize – Voted NO
SB 292 – Authorizes Governor to Expedite Environmental Review – Voted NO
AB 130 – Authorizes Student Financial Aid for Undocumented Immigrants – Voted NO
AB 119 – Prohibiting Gender-Based Health Insurance Pricing – Voted NO
You have to realize that anytime Nicole endorses or recommends a candidate, he/she/it flip-flops about a million times before giving that candidate the kiss of political death. And just watch, Nicole will endorse slimy and crooked Bonnie Dumanis (R) when she runs for county supervisor. I’m sure all Dumanis will have to do is buy Nicole breakfast, lunch or dinner to get the endorsement. Nicole has proven to be easily bought and for cheap.